Seven and a Half Goodbyes
by Xerxies19
Summary: A collection of moments when Seifer has  and hasn't quite  said goodbye to people and places in his life. Seiner, Seifer/Hayner slash.   Written for EllipsistheGreat.


A/N: Series of vignettes with large and unexplained timeskips in between. Written for a group contest on dA for EllipsistheGreat aka PoisonTonicLX. Theme is Goodbyes. This is slash, obviously.

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><p>Seifer's parents died when he was too young to remember them and far too young to understand they were gone forever. Growing up with the guilt of never telling them he loved them, or even getting to the point where he could say and remember their names wasn't something he would wish on anyone. It wasn't until he was much older that he managed to say a proper goodbye, laying flowers on their graves on the fifteenth anniversary of their death. He's done so every year since, hoping if he said it enough times it would make up for not saying it in the moment.<p>

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><p>After being adopted by a couple named Marianne and Frederick a few cities over, he was told very carefully by the woman who had basically raised him up until this point that he probably wouldn't see any of the other orphans again. It was easy to say goodbye to most of them, but impossible to find the right way to say it to the brunet boy who had been his closest friend. He still hadn't done it by the time his new family came to pick him up, so he settled for hugging the boy and promising not to forget him. He definitely didn't cry.<p>

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><p>At only four years of age, the dog his adoptive mother got him for his birthday and Christmas present was struck by a passing truck when he ran into the road after a squirrel while on a walk. The blood smear on the ground behind his pet's body told him there wasn't much hope. Kneeling next to his pet, he pulled the shaking animal into his lap, ignoring the feeling of blood seeping into his jeans. Holding the best friend he had as he died, he muttered a soft goodbye through his tears.<p>

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><p>When Frederick cheated on and left his wife of twenty years, he made sure he said goodbye. Just barely able to catch up to the man as he was leaving the house with his bags packed headed toward the car his wife had worked to buy him, he threw a well-aimed punch that shattered his father's jaw. It was the only kind of send-off the man deserved. His mother tried to hide the pride in her eyes as she pulled him back to the house.<p>

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><p>Graduating from high school involved one more goodbye than he expected. Not from any of the assholes he was graduating alongside, because they knew he never gave a shit about them and wasn't about to start. It was actually after the whole pompous affair, as he was walking home in his coat and combat boots, that he stopped to notice something off in the Sandlot he usually passed through. Hayner was leaning up against the wall, eyeing him calculatingly.<p>

"What do you want, chickenwuss?" He called, some small part of him hoping he'd come for a fight. Unfortunately, the way his shoulders sat and the set of his jaw as he walked over told the older teen that he wasn't.

"Heard you were planning on moving out soon. So I figured I'd say goodbye now rather than have to track you down later. So, goodbye, Seifer. I'd say it was nice knowing you, but that would be a bit of a stretch."

"Why would you bother saying goodbye to a guy whose main interaction with you was to punch you in the face every so often?" And everywhere else, but the issue still stood.

"Because, there's a miniscule chance that if I don't say it now, I will end up regretting it later, and you are not worth my regret. Besides, saying goodbye is important," he added, glancing away.

The scarred teen didn't know a whole hell of a lot about Hayner's life or interests, but he'd come to understand his body language better than just about anyone. He pretty much never broke eye contact with someone, most of all his opponent, and to do so meant he was trying to hide whatever it was he wasn't saying. However, the pressing matter of getting home and packing up his shit so he could move out to his new apartment by next week meant he didn't give it as much thought as he probably should have.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Goodbye, chickenwuss…Hayner."

With that he strode off, honestly thinking this would be the last he would see of the other.

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><p>Loading the last of his stuff into his car, he sensed eyes on him, turning to see his mother in the doorway, leaning against it. Sighing, because he was really not looking forward to this, he walked back up to the house. To her credit, she only cried a little when she gave him a final hug, and he could honestly see the pride in her smile when she pulled back to look at him. Giving her a kiss on the cheek, he walked back to the car, telling her to call him if she ever needed his help, or just wanted to talk.<p>

With a 'love you' and a 'see you later' he got into the car and drove off towards his new living quarters about ten miles away. It wasn't really a goodbye since it wasn't like he'd never see her again. The very small part of him that was humble admitted that he wasn't ready to say goodbye to her yet, and probably never would be.

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><p>It was close to a year later, the last day of March, that his mother suddenly called him up in the middle of the week right after he got home from work and class at 7pm. She usually called every other weekend during the afternoon, so he was immediately suspicious something was wrong.<p>

"Hey Mom, what's up?"

"Hey sweetie, can I talk to you for a moment? Are you busy?"

He smiled a little, "Never too busy to talk to you, you know that."

"You know that boy that lives nearby that you always used to get into fights with? Hayner?"

Which, okay, he had no idea his mother knew who he was fighting with but ignoring that why the hell would she call him about the stupid chickenwuss? Even if something had happened to him, why would Seifer give a damn?

Well, maybe he cared enough to be curious.

"Yeah, what about him?"

"Well, recently I've seen him going to school covered in bruises he didn't have when he went home the night before, and today I saw him sleeping in the Sandlot. I asked his mother about it and she refused to acknowledge anything was wrong, but she seemed scared. I'm really worried about him, do you mind looking into it? You may never have been friends, but I think you owe it to him to at least make sure he's okay."

"Yeah, sure Mom, I'll check it out tonight, don't worry about it anymore, okay?" If his mom said he should do it, he damn well better do it, because she never asked him for anything.

"Thanks Seifer, I knew you'd take care of it. Love you, talk to you soon. If he needs a place to stay bring him to me, I'll take him in until we can figure something else out."

"Love you too Mom," he ended, pocketing the phone and grabbing his keys, heading out the door. Hayner's step-dad had always struck the blue-eyed man as a raging asshole, but he didn't recall any hints of abuse before he graduated, the only bruises on the teenager were ones Seifer had put there. Possibly the most alarming thing, not that he actually cared or anything, was that the high schooler was sleeping in the Sandlot; for one he spent his free time at the Usual Spot with the rest of his stupid friends, and for another it just wasn't normal for people to sleep outside.

Parking his car near the last place his target was seen, he walked a short distance to the spot he spent most of his high school career. In the far corner curled up against the wall was Hayner, looking more than a little worse for wear. Crossing the lot, he knelt next to the sleeping blond, not entirely sure what to do next.

"Hayner, wake up," he said, giving the arm that didn't seem to be injured a shake, going for the most obvious solution. Rousing immediately, the teen batted him away, eyes angry.

"Fuck off, Seifer. What the hell are you even doing here? Go back to your life and leave me to mine."

"Yeah, that's not happening. Get up, you're coming with me. I will drag you if I have to."

Glaring at him for a few beats, Hayner pushed himself off the ground, holding his left arm and leaning against the wall. There was a dark purple discoloration on his forearm and it looked swollen. There were no bruises or cuts on his knuckles, meaning he hadn't thrown any punches himself. Whoever had done this to him had broken his arm without allowing him the chance to defend himself or fight back, and it made Seifer _furious_.

"Your step-dad did that to you, right?"

"I don't want to fucking talk about it, and you have no right to know."

"That's a yes then. I'm taking you to the hospital, don't bother trying to argue."

He opened his mouth to protest, then thought better of it, following slightly behind the other man silently. It wasn't a comfortable quiet, he could sense Hayner's anger, pain and confusion in the air between them, but at the very least he wasn't trying to take a swing at Seifer's face. He hesitated once they got to the car and for a moment the scarred man thought he was going to bolt. It passed and he got in, facial expression one of defeat more than acquiescence. He called his mother as soon as they were en route.

"Did you find him, sweetie?"

"Yeah, he's with me. I'm taking him to Twilight General, want to meet me there?"

A pause, then, "Should I contact the authorities?"

Glancing over at the other occupant of the car, he considered it for a few moments, "Yeah, you really should."

"Okay, I'll meet you there. Be gentle with him, Seifer."

"I will, Mom. Love you, see you in a bit."

If he remembered correctly, Hayner's birthday was three days ago, meaning he was a legal adult and could choose whether to press charges or not. It was plainly obvious he couldn't return home, so he supposed in the meantime the brown-eyed man would have to stay with Seifer's mother.

"Didn't know you were such a mama's boy."

The bully in him craved desperately to make a comment about his mother at least giving a shit about him unlike Hayner's, but he tamped it down for the moment. Another asshole in his life wasn't what the injured teen needed or deserved right now.

"Well now you do. Got a problem with the fact that I love my mom, chickenwuss? She's the one who called me to pick up your sorry ass, so maybe you should be a little more fucking respectful."

"It's funny that the mother of such an unrepentant asshole could be so caring. Clearly it didn't rub off on you."

Maybe he deserved that, but he couldn't help but reply, "I'm here, aren't I?"

He heard a sigh and looked over for a moment, his temporary companion looking out the window and pointedly ignoring the other. His body language was a mix of sad and tired, apparently having run out of energy to be angry.

"Yeah, I guess you are. I thought saying goodbye to you a year ago would have been the end of it. Should've known I couldn't get away from you."

"You didn't really try very hard to escape. If it'll make you happy we can say goodbye for the last time when you're back in one piece, and you'll never have to see me again."

He didn't respond, and something in the back of Seifer's mind told him that particular parting wasn't going to happen any time soon.

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><p>Seifer flipped off Hayner's father as he was escorted out of the courthouse on a one way ticket to prison. He'd really rather have driven a knife between the man's eyes, but failing that this was a decent second. Standing behind him was the teen himself, still in a cast and looking a little dazed. He'd been staying with Marianne for the past month since it wasn't really safe for him to stay with his own emotionally unstable mother. As soon as they were home again she pulled the older of the two aside.<p>

"I'm sure you know what I want to talk to you about."

"You don't feel that Hayner is safe here in the event his mother flips her shit over him sending his dad to prison?"

"Precisely. Besides that, he's more comfortable around you than me. I really think you'd provide a better companion for him, at least until he can get back on his feet."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but he's not exactly my biggest fan. In fact he pretty much hates me."

"It's his choice, but I have a feeling I know how he'll choose."

And that was how he ended up helping Hayner get his shit from the house and pack it into the car. It was still a complete mystery why the younger man wanted to spend several months in the same living space as him, but he felt obligated to take care of him until he wasn't completely helpless. As much as he tried to hide it, the brown-eyed teen was vulnerable, and much like a kitten in the rain Seifer couldn't just leave him there, even if he might have found his way. This was also why he happened to have four cats.

"Looks like we're going to have to belay that final goodbye, huh?" He said conversationally as they dragged the bags up to the apartment. The awkwardness between them was going to get insufferable if they didn't warm up to each other quickly.

"Yeah, but don't get the idea I'm doing this because I like you or anything. I just don't want to live anywhere near there."

He hummed, amused, "Of course, I understand. Which is why you totally asked Roxas, Pence, and Olette if you could stay with them before agreeing to stay with me."

Hayner hadn't asked any of them, in fact he didn't even tell them the truth of the matter until a few weeks ago. But if he wanted to continue to pretend like he didn't need Seifer's help and still hated him, that was up to him. The blue-eyed man would put up with it for a while, if nothing else because his mother would murder him if he threw his new roommate out.

"Whatever you say, Hayner. Just try not to be too much of a raging asshole, we're going to have to live together for a while, I'd rather not dread coming home. Now, I've gotta get to work, so try not to make a mess of things. Make yourself at home, I'll be back around nine."

"'Kay. See you later, Seifer."

It seemed like the sandy-haired teen wasn't the type to use goodbye flippantly either; he had probably had a few difficult partings in his life as well. Maybe they could find some way to get along after all.

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><p>The day after he knew for sure he'd get funding to transfer to a four-year college eighty miles away was actually one he'd been dreading for a while. Hayner was still living with him, working and going to college alongside him. After a few months of forced proximity they'd managed to accept each other, and a little later Hayner had, in one of his particularly bold moments, admitted that for several years he had a crush on the scarred man. Seifer had always had a physical attraction to him, part of the reason he would always kick the crap out of the brown-eyed teen, but he never really did anything else because he couldn't put up with how immature the other used to be.<p>

A year of having to support himself and trying to make it through college at the same time had forced him to start acting like an adult sooner rather than later. After spending so much time with him, the sophomore slowly discovered his vague interest in the dark-eyed blond had grown into something he couldn't exactly put aside anymore. He wouldn't call it love, not yet anyway; in his opinion love was something that took a great deal of time. Whatever one wanted to call their feelings, they'd been dating for several months.

All of this added up to him not wanting to break the news to his boyfriend. He avoided it for about an hour while the other made pasta for dinner and they ate. They sat on the couch to watch the news or whatever else happened to be on TV and knowing he was probably going to start a fight between them was beginning to grate on his nerves. Chocolate-colored eyes watched him evenly, clearly ascertaining there was something he needed to say.

"Hayner, I'm going to be getting my associate's soon, and in order to get my bachelor's, I'm going to have to transfer to Kingdom University."

"I'm not stupid, Seifer, I've known that all along."

"It's eighty miles away Hayner, that's a hell of a long commute, and honestly I think it'd be better if I moved out there."

"I know how far it is, Seif, I visited campus two months ago when I was off and you were at work."

And that didn't make a damn bit of sense, "Wait, why would you go to their campus?"

"You really do think I'm dense if you thought I wouldn't know that you were going to have to leave Twilight Town once you got your two-year degree. I applied and was accepted into the university as a transfer quite a while ago, as soon as I was sure you were still planning on going. I know you're going to have to leave and find an apartment in the area, so take me with you."

He knew he probably should have been saying something instead of staring blankly at his partner, but at the moment he couldn't think of the words to express his utter astonishment. Instead, he grabbed the other by the front of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss, something he knew would be understood.

A few short months later they packed their possessions and animals up, Hayner struggling to say goodbye to all the friends he'd be leaving back in Twilight. He could call them, text them, and visit them, of course, but it wasn't quite the same as seeing them every day. Trying to ignore the glare Roxas shot his way, probably at the fact that he was stealing the spiky-haired teen's friend away, he waited patiently, leaning up against the car. The cats were meowing impatiently, clearly not happy with being jammed into a large dog carrier in the backseat.

All their furniture had been moved the night before, so they crashed on the couch as soon as they managed to unload and feed the cats and get all their bags into the apartment. The smaller of the two fell asleep in Seifer's lap, worn out from the move and the stress of leaving the only place he'd ever known. Scooping him up, the blue-eyed blond carried him to bed and curled around him as usual, quickly losing consciousness himself.

The next morning they woke up when sunlight filtered onto their bed, the clock next to them saying it was around ten. After they had a few minutes to completely get their wits about them, his companion apologized for falling asleep on top of him the night before.

"It's no problem. I know how it is, having to say goodbye to your home. It's stressful, and all the shit involved is exhausting."

"Honestly sometimes I think you're the stupid one in the relationship. I didn't say goodbye to my home, just the place I grew up. You're my home, Seifer, and I have no inclination to say goodbye to you any time soon, or ever, really. I made that mistake once, and I don't plan on doing it again."

He couldn't help but smile despite the insult, "Same here, Hayner."

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><p>Twelve long years had passed since they had started dating, two since they had gotten married. Well, eloped would probably be a better term considering there was no big ceremony and only about ten people were even invited to the courthouse. Then Seifer got a call from his mother out of the blue, she asked him to come to the hospital. Knowing there could be no good news coming out of this trip, he tried to convince Hayner to stay at home. He probably should have just given up before even he tried, because he had never managed to win an argument with his better half.<p>

Marianne had them sit down next to her bed when they first entered the room at the hospital where they had put her. She had an IV in her arm and her face looked pale and drawn. Her cheekbones were more prominent than her son remembered them, and though she was in her late sixties, she seemed much more weathered than she should.

"Seifer, Hayner, it's good to see you again. I'd rather it be in better circumstances, but…"

"What's wrong, Mom? Why are you in the hospital?"

"I have stage 4 pancreatic cancer. The doctors say it's inoperable, and best case scenario I have a few months to live," she answered, just as blunt as ever, "But I'm grateful."

Once he managed to process the fact that his mother was _dying_ he grew confused by her last statement, "Why are you grateful?"

"Because I was able to see you find and marry the person you love; I'm a mother, all I've ever really wanted was to for you to be happy. And Hayner, thank you for managing to make my son happy despite all his attempts toward the contrary."

They spoke at length about what exactly was going to happen in the next few months, the older man increasingly thankful for the hand steadily holding his. He knew this wasn't exactly easy for his partner either, considering the woman had taken him in and basically treated him as her son for almost thirteen years. The scarred man knew his husband would set aside whatever feelings he had about the matter to better focus on supporting him. To say they were codependent would be terribly understating things.

They visited her as often as they could trying to work around their schedules. Her health was declining rapidly, almost every day she seemed weaker. Seifer knew it was affecting them both when they started snapping at each other. Hayner would always back off into another room first to let them both cool their heads, knowing that there was no way in hell they could resolve anything while angry and that he was the only one reasonable enough to surrender.

Ten weeks after first seeing her in the hospital she was slipping in and out of a coma. The last time she came out of it her son managed to say goodbye, knowing there wasn't much chance of her coming back again. His brown-eyed companion was by his side the entire time, resolutely holding his hand through the tears.

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><p>"Seif, you've been staring off into space for an hour now. What are you thinking about?" Hayner asked, looking up at him from where he was resting on his husband's chest. It was a Sunday, and like they often did they had just been laying together on the couch for the past several hours. At some point the younger man had fallen asleep leaving his other half alone with his thoughts, which had clearly trailed on well past the time when the brown-eyed man had woken up.<p>

"Just thinking of all the people I've had to say goodbye to in life. I even said it to you, if you remember."

"Yeah, I remember. It's funny, because I thought I'd never have to see you again."

"And now we've spent the past thirty years of our lives together instead? Guess we kind of jacked that parting."

"I meant what I said all those years ago. I made the mistake of saying goodbye to you once, and I never want to again."

He leaned down to kiss the other on the forehead and wrapped an arm around his torso protectively, "Hopefully neither of us will have to."


End file.
